10 Things Texans are Tired of Explaining to Everybody

Texans may have written the book on hospitality, but that doesn’t mean we have unlimited patience when it comes to explaining our ways to those on the outside looking in. We love you, dear foreigners, but let’s cut to the chase. So, to help us both, here are the answers to the all the questions we already know you are going to ask.

1. Dallas and Ft. Worth are further apart than people think.

Photo: Flickr/Payton Chung

Unlike the Twin-Cities, Dallas and Fort Worth are actually two separate cities. Booking a stay in one won’t mean walking distance to the other.

2. When Texans say “Don’t mess with Texas”, we are quite serious about it.

Photo: Flickr/Jenny

Seriously, though…just don’t. “Don’t Mess With Texas,” DMWT for short, is a long-running anti-litter campaign that began in the 80’s. It successfully reduced trash on Texas highways by 72%

3. We don’t, in actual point of fact, ride horses to school, and we don’t all drive pickups.

Photo: Flickr/Mallice

If you just simply can’t help yourself (and who could), you’re more than welcome to poke fun at our mass transit systems.

4. We use “y’all” because it sounds a heck of a lot better than “you guys.”

Photo: Flickr/Gregory Morris

Admit it, you know you agree. It just sounds better.

5. Believe it or not, not everyone in Texas is a Cowboys fan.

Photo: Flickr/Ray Bouknight

In fact, a large majority of Texans who live in Houston actually prefer the team from, well…Houston.

6. Not every Texan is in the oil business.

Photo: Flickr/Linda Flores

We may have, at one time, been too dependent on oil, but only in the same way that Massachusetts used to be overly dependent on whaling.

7. Not every bar is a country-western dance hall.

Photo: Flickr/Jonas Lamis

Sure we have the Texas Two-Step, but we are no stranger to hearing Katy Perry’s “Roar.” We’re diverse.

8. This state is more urban than people think.

Photo: Flickr/Stanford Moore

Our ninth biggest city (Plano) is bigger than the state of New York’s second biggest city (Brooklyn). And Plano is a suburb.

9. We have no idea whether we’re part of the South or the Southwest.

Photo: Flickr/noitalsnarT_nI_tsoL

We honestly don’t know. If you figure it out…don’t tell us. We Texans are happy in our ignorance.

10. Austin doesn’t corner the market on weird here in Texas.

Photo: Flickr/Sarah Kamalsky

The small unincorporated town of Lajitas voted in the beer-guzzling goat, Clay Moore Henry, as Mayor back in 1986 – so take that for what you will. We’ve got weird all over.

So now that you have a proper Texas-sized education, we can continue on to more important things, like the proper way to smoke barbecue or who is going to bring the pecan pie. The front porch is open, and the sweet tea is flowing. Y’all come back now, ya’ hear.